Door latch



Oct. 26, 1937. E. o. scHJoLlN DOOR LATO H Filed Jan. y29, 1956 fic @f/e Jaya/fn Patented Qct. 26, `18937 PATENT OFFICE DOOR LATCH Eric Olle Schjolin, Pontiac, Mich., assgnor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application January 29, 1936, Serial No. 61,260

12 Claims. (Cl. 292-25) This invention relates to door locks for automotive. vehicles.

'I'he object of the invention is to construct an inexpensive latch which is capablel of being applied to the door in the plane of its edge in contradistinction to latches of the prior art which are applied in a plane whichcoincides with the. at portion of the door. By applying the latch in the plane of the door edge it is unnecessary to make allowance for the usual latch housing and all the operable parts are located within the latch casing itself which may be readily removed to allow for replacement or repair. The latch of the invention combines the novel latch mechanism itself in combination with a novel form of striker plate.

The latch in question comprises a shell or housing having a dovetail shape Which conforms to the dovetail shape of two oppositely disposed crank shaped latches or pawls, one arm of each being formed with a hook adapted to project through openings in. the shell to engage theA striker plate bumpers, the other ends being brought adjacent to each other and are separated by a bar movably mounted therebetween and which extend throughout the housing for the attachment of an operating handle. The operating handle of the invention is pulled outwardly or away from the door in contradistinction to the usual turning movement. 'I'he striker plate combines aQbuier member preferably in the form of a chunk of rubber positioned at the middle thereof and adapted to be struck by the casing of the latch when the door is closed. The striker plate also has -a -rubber block or buier between the striker bumpers and the end of the bumper housings to cause the striker bumpers firmly to engage the face of the casing when the door is closed.

A suitable mechanism is provided in the interior of the door so that the latch may be operated from the inside of the vehicle, anda suitable latch catch mechanism is provided on the inside of the vehicle to prevent the operation of the latch from the outside.

On the drawing:

Figure 1 is a sectional view through the door pillar and door .post of an automotive vehicle- Showing the latch of the invention.- l

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line '2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a' sectional detailed view of the connection of the spring ends with the pllalfs inside the latch housing.

bumper and catch members formed on the striker, plate. In the housing there are pivoted two bell Figures 4 and 5 are sectional views on lines 4-4 and 5--5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a sectional detailed view corresponding to the upper portion of Figure 1, but showing a modification.

On the drawing the numeral 2 indicates an automotive vehicle as a whole. The vehicle has the door pillar 4 and the door 6 the edge of which enable the housing tightly to be received between the blocks I8 ofthe striker plate 20. 'I'he blocks I8 have their sides inclined as indicated at 2l, the incline corresponding to the incline I6 of the sides of the shell I4.

Inside the casing there are mounted the stationary pivot pins 22 on each of which there is. pivoted a latch member 24 in the form of a bell crank lever. The end of one of the arms of each latch member 24 is provided with hooks 26 which are adapted to project through openings 28 in.

the inclined sides of the shell I4 and are adapted to engage in recesses 30 and Y32 `formed in the inclined sides 2I .of the blocks I8. The back of each hook 26 is provided with a recess 34 in which` there are received the rounded ends 36 .of springs 38 the other ends of which are coiled as indicated at 4o abot the studs 42 secured in the block housing. The' studs 42 (Figure 3) have one end slotted as indicated at 44 in which there is adapt- --ed to be received the end 46 of the spring 38 rigidly to holdthe spring under tension. With the springs in the position shown in Figure 2 the ends 36 constantly urge the hooks 26 through the openings 28.

Theother ends 48 of the bell crank levers 24 extend toward each other-and are juxtaposed as vbest shown in Figure;2. They are spaced apart for the reception of the operating bar 50 which is held inplace a't its inner end by means of the tongues 52 bent upward from the shell I4. 'I'he bar 58 has an opening 54 formed intermediate its length and in this opening there is rigidly mounted the operating block 56 which is adaptedl to engage withboth the ends 48 of the bell crank levers 24. The bar 50 has the end portion 58 Whichextends outside'the housing'and outside vthe outer `edge 60 of the door.

This end 58 is provided with an eye 62 in which there is rigidly mounted the pin 64 which projects from both sides of the eye.

The housing I4 has the tongue 66 formed thereon and which is bent to the shape shown in Figure 1. This tongue portion 66 mates with a tongue 68 on the plate I2. 'Ihe tongue 66 and the plate 68 form a mounting member indicated as a whole at 70 for the end of the handle '|2. The sides 'II of the mounting member I0 are provided with the openings 'I4 in which there is received the pin 'I6 which passes through 'both openings and through the sides I8 of the hollowed end 80 of the handle '12. The handle 'I2 is provided with a slot 82 on its underside, the slot leading to a cored or recessed portion-84 in the hollow end 80. The slot 82 is for the reception of the end 58 of the operating bar 50 while the hollowed out portion or recess 84 is to receive the ends of the pin 64'.

From the description of the parts thus far described it will be apparent that by pulling on the handle 'I2 (Figure l) in the direction of the plane of the paper the handle will pivot on the pin 'I6 and pull the pin 64 and the bar 50. Figure 2 the bar 50 wi11 move to the left.) This movement will cause the block 56 to operate in the ends 48 of the bell crank leversl 24 tocause the hooks 26 to be withdrawn from the recesses 30 or 32 and .into the shell I4 to allow the door 6 to open. When the operator releases the handle I2 the springs' 38 will swing the hooked ends 26 out of the openings 28 and pull the handle back to the position shown in Figure 1.

If desired, the door 6 may be provided with a rubber buffer 86 at the place where the end or point 88 of the handle 'l2 strikes the door. is also desirable to provide a recess 'I3 in the face welding or in any other suitable way a U-shaped opening and engages with the end |02 of the bar 50. The other arm |04 of the bell crank lever has pivoted thereto at |06 a rod |08 which extends inside the door and has its other end connected to any conventional mechanism (not shown) for operating the latch from the interior of the vehicle. By operating the mechanism in one direction the rod |08 ispulled to the right (Figure 1) which will shift the bar 50 in the same direction as it is lshifted when the handle 'I2 is pulled.

In order to lock the vehicle from the inside the arm |04 of the bell crank lever 96 has welded thereto the member I I0 which is in the form of a rod having the ends inwardly bent toward the lock. By moving the operating mechanism to shift the rod |08 tothe left (Figure 1) the member ||0 will pass through an opening ||2 in the plate I2 to cause the member I I0 to be positioned between the ends of the bell crank lever 24 having the hooks 26.

- This will prevent the operation of the lock from the exterior for the reason that when the handle 4the shoulders of the recesses 30 and 32.

is pulled to cause the 4movement of the bar 50 the bar cannot be moved because the inside edges of the hooked ends 26 will strike against the member am.

Referring to the species in Figure 6, means is shown for locking the mechanism from the interior of the vehicle and at the same time allowing -the door to be shut and the hooks 26 to engage behind the recesses 30 or 32 when the lock is locked. In the species of Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, if the member IIO is passed through the opening |I2 and positioned between the hooked ends 2|: of the bell crank levers 24 it will not be possible to shut the door because the hooks 28 will be unable to move inwardly through the opening-s 28 to allow the hooks to engage behind In the species of Figure 6 the bar 50 is provided with the cut-out portion or recess ||4 at its end and the member ||0 is replaced by a hook end I I8 formed on -the bell crank lever 96'. When the lengthen'ed so that the tops thereof will be behind the end I I6 when in the dotted line position.

The novel striker plate 20 of the invention comprises the elongated iiat plate |I8 to which there are secured at each end the housing portions |20. These housing portions are composed of sheet metal suitably shaped and secured to the plate l||8 in any suitable way. They are open at the ends facing each other and receive therein the blocks I8. Between the ends of the Ahousings |20 and the blocks I8 rubber buffer blocks |22 are provided to give resiliency to the striker plate. Each housing is-provided with a slot |24 in which there are received the pins |26 secured in theblocks I8. The pins |26 project into the slots and hold the striker blocks I8 in,

position but allow thereto a limited amount of fore and aft movement. l

At its midportion between the striker blocks I8, the striker plate is provided with a chamfered opening I30in which there is received the cylindrical rubber block |32. The block projects some distance beyond the surface of the plate ||8 and acts as a bumper and sound deadener and anti-rattler for the lock housing.

The plate I2 and the'striker plate I8 are provided with suitable openings at their ends for the reception of bolts, screws or other fastening means |28 by means of which they are secured to the door pillar and the door. The striker plate 20 has four spaced fastening means.

I claim: y l

1. In a latch for automobile doors, a flat housing secured in a recess in the edge of the door and having its plane coincident with the plane of the door edge, a plurality of pawls pivoted in the same plane in the housing, hooks on one end of the pawls adapted to extend through openings in the housing and to be engaged with a keeper on'the door pillar, said pawls and hooks being operator to cause the movement of the pawls on their pivots to move the hooks into the housing,

said rst named means being able to move the pawls and last named means from unlatched to latched position upon release of the last named means.

`2. In a latch for automobile doors, a iiat housing secured to the door edge in the plane of the edge, two pawls pivoted in the housing and adapted to move in opposite directions in the plane of the door edge, a hook on each pawl adapted to move through openings in the casing and adapted to engage a keeper on the door pillar, a spring for each pawl constantly urging the hook end through the opening, an operatorin the plane of the door edge and adapted to engage both pawls, and means to move the operator to move the pawls through the opening, said first named means being able to move the pawls and last named means from unlatched to latched position upon release of the last named means.

3. In a latch for vehicle doors, said latch having all parts in the plane of the door edge, a lock housing secured to the door edge, two bell crank pawls pivoted in the housing and adapted to move simultaneously in opposite directions, hooks on one arm of the pawls, said hooks projecting through openings in the housing and adapted to engage with a keeper on the door pillar, the otherarms of said pawls being adjacent each other, a pawl operator slidably mounted in the housing between the adjacent ends, means outside the door to move the operator to cause the hooks to be withdrawn into the housing, and a lever pivoted to the housing and engaging the operator to move the same to release the hooks, said lever being operated from the inside of the vehicle.

4. In a vehicle door latch adapted for cooperation with a striker plate secured to the door pillar, all of the parts of said latch and striker plate being in the plane of the edge of the door,

said latch4 comprising a housing having a part mounted between the yhooks and adapted to `en gage the adjacent ends, a handle attached to and adapted to move said means to causethe movement'of the pawls to cause the hooks to be disengaged from the keeper, said springs mounted in the housing and constantly urging said hooks through said openings, said springs being capable 60.7 of returning the parts to latched position when the handle is released.

5. -In a vehicle door latch, said latch having its parts in the plane of the edge of the door, a housing having two openings, two spaced pawls pivotally mounted in the housing and adapted to project through the openings to engage a striker plate secured to the door pillar, means in the housing engaging the pawls to move the same,`a

lhandle for operating said means to cause the pawls to become disengaged from the striker plate, and means operable to engage the said means to prevent operation ofy the handle and the movement of said first named means.

6. In a vehicle door latch, said latch having its 'parts in the plane of the edge of the door, a housing having two openings, two spaced pawls a handle vfor operating said means to cause the pawls to become disengaged from the striker plate, said means having a notch, a catch pivotally mounted on the housing, and means to operate the catch to `cause it to engage the notch I to prevent the operation of said means.

7. In a vehicle door latch, said latch having its parts in the plane of the edge of the door,

a housing having ltwo openings, two spaced pawls pivotally mounted in the housing adapted to projectl through the openings to engage a striker plate secured tothe door pillar, means in the housing engaging the pawls to move the same,`

a handle for operating said means to cause the pawls to become disengaged from the striker plate, means connected with the latch and operable in oneA direction to operate the pawls from the inside of the door, said mechanism operable in the other direction to engage with the latch to prevent movement of the handle to operate the pawls.

8. In a vehicle door latch, said latch having its parts in the plane of the edge of the door, a housing having two openings, two spaced pawls pivotally mounted in the housing adapted to project through the openings to engage a striker plate secured to the door pillar, means in the housing engaging the pawls to move the same, a handle for operating said means to 'cause the pawls to become disengaged from the striker plate, mechanism connected with the latch and operable v,in one direction to operate the pawls from the inside of the door, said mechanism operable in the other direction to engage the pawls to prevent their movement and thereby prevent the operationofthe handle to operate the lock.

9. In a; latch for a door, a housing, pawls pivoted in the housing, studs in the housing, a spring secured to each stud, one spring for each pawl and pressing thereagainst to urge the end of the pawl through an opening in the housing to engage a catch, a pawl operator slidable between the pawls and the studs, and means-to move the operator to cause the pawls to swing on their pivots to with/draw the ends thereof into the housing, said springs being so arranged and mounted that they will return the parts 'to latche position upon release o f said means. 10. In a latch for a. doora housing, pawls pivoted in the housing, .studs,in the housing, a spring' y secured to each stud, one spring for each pawl and pressing thereagainst to urgethe end of the pawl through an opening in the housing to engage a catch, a bar slidable between thepawls and ,the studs, a block secured to the bar and engaging with the ends of the pawls,rmeans.to move the bar-to c ause'vtheblock to rswing the pawls on their-pivots to withdraw the pawl ends into the` housing, said springs being so arranged' and mounted that they. will return the parts to adapted toA extend through openings into the housing and adapted to engage with a catch, a

recess in the hook end of each pawl, a plurality ofsprings secured in the housing and having one\` of their ends in the recesses, said springs adaptedl to urge said recessed ends through the housingopenings, va pawl operator slidable lbetween the pawls, and` means on the operator to canseth'e tween and adapted to engage the adjacent ends,

a handle pivoted to the latch, and a sliding connection between the handle and the operating member, the movement of said handle causing the movement of the operator to cause the pawls to recede into the openings in the housing, `said means moving the pawls, block and operator from unlatched to latched position when the operatoris released.

ERIC OLLE SCHJOLIN. 

